Weight bar holders, also referred to as J-Hooks, are used to hold a barbell on the uprights, vertical posts or parts/members of a variety of different pieces of fitness equipment including and commonly known as: racks, multi-functional racks, power-racks, half racks, partial racks, squat racks, self-standing half racks, double half racks, triple combo racks, squat stands, all other combinations and forms of racks, cages, power-cages, smith machines, bench presses and various weight resistance machines. The bar holders are generally attached to the fitness equipment and are held firmly in place by inserting them into the upright posts or parts of the fitness equipment. They are used to horizontally hold a bar on a rack or fitness equipment at certain height and parallel to a level floor. The bar holders are typically adjustable on the rack or the fitness equipment uprights to various heights from the floor. This accommodates users of different heights and performance of various typed of exercises using the weight bar.
A weight bar holder or a J-Hook generally comprise of three different elements: a body member, a bar support member attached to one side of the body member to hold the barbell, and an engagement member on the other side of the body member to engage with the upright members of a fitness equipment. In the prior art, the bar support member is in the same plane as aligned with the upright bar member. Therefore, the grip length on the weight bar is equal to the distance between the two upright bar members or the width of the equipment.
The standard width of a power rack or a weight machine is approximately 47-50 inches. This is wide enough for most users. However, for a user with wide shoulders it may be difficult to perform certain exercises, such as low bar back squat, in such a width. Such users need a wider grip on the weight bar. A wider space on the weight bar may also protect user's fingers from being jammed between the weight bar and the upright posts or parts/members of the fitness equipment to which the bar holders are attached, especially during the de-loading of the barbell when a person returns it to the bar holders.
Therefore, there is a need for safely extending the practical grip length available to be used when a person loads and then de-loads a barbell from a rack or similar piece of fitness equipment. This is especially true for people with wide shoulders, who are recovering from injuries, or who have an inadequate shoulder range of motion, who wish to perform typical and common exercises using this fitness equipment.